TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday Tehran was still "open" to dialogue with the United States after the failure of the French initiative to bring Americans and Iranians closer to the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Rouhani said Iran was ready for "fruitful negotiations," referring to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron's efforts in New York on September 23-24.
Macron sought a direct meeting between Rouhani and his US counterpart, Donald Trump.
"From my point of view, the road is still open," Rouhani said in the cabinet.
Rouhani did not mention during his speech that he intended to have a direct conversation with Trump, by phone or face to face.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said yesterday that "the reduction of commitments will continue until we achieve the goal we want."
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was optimistic that sanctions on Iran would show their impact.
"Our theory is working, and Iran's resources are dwindling compared to before," he said after meeting his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Mayo in Rome yesterday.
Pompeo also expressed optimism about talks with the Iranians and a truce.